Posts from January 2013

It is not hard to imagine what will happen to student debt as governments scale back their funding for postsecondary education, causing institutions to increase tuition to cover the shortfall. The latest report on student debt in the United States shows that the average inflation-adjusted debt for first time bachelor’s degree graduates rose from $14,700 […]

Today, OCUFA released new poll findings on public attitudes towards higher education and austerity in Ontario’s Ottawa region. Presented at a news conference at the University of Ottawa, the results indicate that Eastern Ontarians do not want the government’s deficit-cutting agenda to compromise the quality of university education in Ontario. Other key findings include: 72 […]

OCUFA’s latest campaign, We Teach Ontario , launched last week. It’s goal is simple: to explain the important connection between teaching and research at Ontario’s universities. In addition to the campaign website featuring video profiles of faculty members, there are many ways to connect with the campaign. You can: Share the videos Like We Teach Ontario on Facebook . Follow the campaign on […]

On Tuesday, January 29, 2013, OCUFA will be co-presenting a town hall discussion on austerity and higher education. We invite all Ottawa-area students, staff, and faculty to join us for an evening of discussion and analysis. Speakers include: David Macdonald – Senior Economist, The Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives Prof. Tyler Chamberlin – Assistant Professor, […]

Teaching and research are at the heart of Ontario’s universities and together produce extraordinary results for students and their communities. We Teach Ontario , a new OCUFA initiative, celebrates how professors use research to enrich their students’ learning and strengthen the province. “Ontario professors and academic librarians know how powerful the connection between teaching and research can be […]

Today, OCUFA released new poll findings on public attitudes towards higher education and austerity in Ontario’s 905 region. Presented at a news conference at McMaster University in Hamilton, the results indicate that residents of the 905 region do not want the government’s deficit-cutting agenda to compromise the quality of university education in Ontario. Other key […]

From Jan. 10-11, 2013, OCUFA held its annual conference in Toronto. This year’s theme was “Academia in the Age of Austerity”, and the program was designed to explore the impacts the “austerity agenda” has had – and will continue to have – on higher education. The speakers included faculty members, higher education researchers, students, members […]

Ontarians do not want the government’s austerity agenda to compromise the quality of university education in the province, according to a new study released today by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA). While most Ontarians think it is important to reduce the provincial deficit, over two-thirds oppose any cost-cutting measure that reduces the quality of education received by students. “The […]

The latest provincial-level data on Research and Development (R&D) shows that R&D expenditures as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Ontario continue to be higher than the national average. Only Quebec spends more. Although Canadian – and Ontario and Quebec – businesses spend comparatively less than the OECD average , they still account for the largest proportion of R&D expenditures. Quebec businesses invest […]

Happy New Year! As 2013 gets underway, OCUFA will be busy representing professors and academic librarians as we work to build a high quality and accessible university sector in Ontario. Key initiatives include: Launching a new campaign, “We Teach Ontario”, on January 22, 2013. This new initiative promotes the important connection between teaching and research […]